Drag racing causes road closure

ROSWELL, Ga. – A pair of men who were allegedly drag racing caused enough damage July 26 that an entire portion of Ga. 9 was closed to traffic for several hours.

Roswell police say two men were drag racing up Ga. 9/ South Atlanta Street at 3:30 a.m. when one of them hit a power line pole near Jones Drive, causing it to fall across the street and blocking all lanes.

“It turns out they were horsing around and racing when they both lost control,” said Roswell Police Department Spokesman Zachary Frommer.

Georgia Power was called out to repair the pole, which took several hours to fix. The road was reopened at 1 p.m., nearly 10 hours later.

Both drivers – Antonio Duarte-Bueno, 19, and Lionel Marron Palacios, 20, both from Atlanta – fled the scene, although one later came forward. They were driving a blue Mercury Mountaineer and a green Nissan Altima.

“One driver ended up turning himself in later that day and admitted he and another vehicle were racing,” said Frommer. “He wasn’t charged with anything right then, but all the information was gathered and given to our hit-and-run investigator to follow up with charges.”

Both drivers were charged with driving while unlicensed and hit-and-run. Additional charges are pending.